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World's Finest
"World's Finest" is the thirty-second through thirty-fourth episodes of . Originally, this three-parter aired back-to-back as a movie event on October 4, 1997. It was also packaged and released on video and DVD as "The Batman/Superman Movie", along with being included in the DVD release of the series. It depicts the first meeting of Batman and Superman, when Batman comes to Metropolis in pursuit of the Joker, who has offered to kill Superman for Lex Luthor. Superman finds himself out of his depth when matched against Joker's cunning and unpredictability, while Batman has trouble with the resources Luthor provides Joker with. Both heroes must agree to overcome their differences in order to put a stop to the Joker and Luthor. Plot Part I It's a dark and stormy night in Gotham City... the owner of an Antique Shop is about to close shop, but then a mysterious woman enters, allegedly to trade in a music box. The music box then springs open to reveal a jester head and douses the man with some gas, which turns out to be Joker venom. Joker then unmasks the "woman" to be Harley Quinn and enters into an antique to "find a suitable trade for his Joke in the Box." The Joker then steals a green dragon statue, claiming that he seems to think that the statue "speaks to him" for some reason. and his new trinket.]] Later, the police investigate the crime scene and wonder why Joker would only take one jade statue, worth maybe a hundred thousand dollars—especially when rumor has it that he's hurting for funds. Batman examines a fragment of the statue that had been left behind and takes it for further study. Back in the Batcave, he runs test on the sample, while Alfred reports that the "Laughing Dragon" has gained a bad reputation for being cursed, since all of its owners died prematurely. Batman says he knows why: the "jade" is emitting low-level radiation, meaning it's actually Kryptonite. Now realizing what the Joker is up to, Batman heads off to Metropolis. Out over Metropolis, terrorists seize control of Air Force One, with the President of the United States on board. Lois Lane is among the press corps on board, virtually guaranteeing Superman's prompt arrival. He easily defeats the terrorists and saves the passengers. When he returns to the ground, Lois tries to let him know how she feels, but they are interrupted when robbers attack the First National Bank, and Superman must fly. and Luthor seal a deal.]] Lex Luthor sourly reads about the President thanking "Metropolis's Favorite Son" and heads down to his car. He enters the car and tell Mercy to take him to leap office. However, he wonders why Mercy seemed to call him "Mr. L." and the driver is revealed to be not Mercy, but Harley Quinn (Harley knocked Mercy out earlier with a mechanical Boxing Glove). Lex then attempts to escape, but Harley locks the car and speeds off, driving quite recklessly. Lex then threatens Harley Quinn, with Harley ignoring it. She then notices "a cute hitchiker" on the edge of the street, which is the Joker lifting his pants leg. She brakes to a halt and the Joker enters the car, explaining to Luthor that he is broke, thanks to Batman's success in closing down his operations in Gotham City. So he offers Luthor a deal: for one billion dollars, he'll kill Superman. Luthor is initially skeptical as he wonders how the Clown Prince of Crime has any chance at beating Superman when he can't even beat "a mere mortal in a halloween costume," but changes his mind when the Joker shows him the Kryptonite statue. After the Joker assures him that it couldn't be traced back to him, he accepts the offer. Bruce Wayne is visiting Metropolis to oversee a cooperative venture between Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp. Lois is immediately taken with him, and Bruce returns her interest. Much to Clark Kent's displeasure, Lois accepts Bruce's invitation to dinner. That night, the Joker sets up his base in Metropolis, gassing a local crime boss, Ceasar Carlini and taking his hideout and his cowered thugs for his own. Carlini is later found, hysterical with laughter, by the Metropolis police, alerting Superman to the Joker's presence in the city. and Superman get acquainted.]] The next day, an insect-like probe droid, the Wayne/Lex T-7, crawls through a canyon even scaling walls. Bruce is pleased at how well his and Luthor's companies have collaborated in developing the robots for space exploration. Luthor says the robots would be even more useful for military purposes, but Bruce, who under their agreement has sole control over the technology's uses, firmly squelches the idea. That night, Batman appears in a Metropolis nightclub, finding a runaway thug from the gang Joker recruited. While Batman is interrogating him, Superman arrives, saying he doesn't want Batman's brand of vigilantism in his town. To his astonishment, Batman throws him across the room with a judo move. Upset, Superman rams him into a wall, which allows the thug to escape. Using his x-ray vision, Superman peeks behind the mask and sees that Batman is Bruce Wayne. Batman then pulls out the Kryptonite fragment and warns Superman of the Joker's plan. Superman returns to his apartment. His jealousy increases when he gets a call from Lois, who says she's taking the morning off to have breakfast with Bruce. As they talk, he sees a small homing device planted on his cape. Looking out his window, he sees that Batman has followed him to "Clark Kent's" apartment, and now discovered his secret identity as well. "Touché," says Clark, crushing the device in anger. Part II Things are not going well between Batman and Superman. Lois and Bruce flirt with each other at the Daily Planet, much to Clark's chagrin. But out of her earshot they talk about Joker's location, and Clark drops a warning about Bruce's relationship with Lois. collects his trump.]] Over dinner at a rooftop restaurant, Bruce and Lois are getting closer, but Joker arrives and kidnaps Lois, and his thugs send Bruce falling off the roof's edge, though he manages to save himself. Joker contacts Superman, inviting him to come alone to one of LexCorp's laboratories. Superman ignores Bruce's warning to "expect the unexpected" from Joker. While waiting for Superman, Joker breaks the statue in half, saving one half for later just in case. Superman arrives at the laboratory wearing his Anti-Kryptonite suit. Joker appears confused when the Kryptonite has no effect on him, and Superman quickly gets him to lead him to where Lois is. But just as Superman is about to save Lois, Joker uses his acid flower to destroy the suit. Exposed to the radiation, Superman falls, and Joker starts to electrocute him with his buzzer. Before he can kill Superman, however, Harley Quinn calls and warns that Batman has arrived. Joker leaves, and as soon as Batman enters the room, the doors are sealed and Joker Gas is vented in. subdued.]] Batman examines the room's contents: barrels of hydrochloric acid, too weak to eat through the walls or door, but instead Batman uses it to dissolve the Kryptonite. Recovering from its effects, Superman is just able to smash their way out of the room, taking Batman and Lois with him. They confront Joker, who distracts them with grenades made to look like marbles. The trio flees the laboratory, which is destroyed in an explosion. That morning, Lex makes a public statement that the explosion was only a minor problem but is furious with Joker for destroying his property. Clark, among the reporters, hears Luthor mention of his deal with Joker. Luthor confronts Joker and gives him a second chance to kill Superman but insists that it's his last (while the two men are discussing the situation, Harley and Mercy are doing their best to kill each other bare-fisted). In his apartment, Luthor is rudely awakened by Batman, who has learned about his connection to Joker from Clark. Luthor refuses to tell him anything, but realizes that Batman is a serious enough threat that he must be taken care of as well. Lois tells Clark that she's planning a transfer to the Planet's Gotham City bureau, feeling that she and Bruce are serious enough that they're practically engaged. Joker makes his new move and fakes a distress signal from a cruise ship to lure Superman away. As soon as Superman arrives, the distress becomes real when a bomb is detonated on the hull, causing the ship to sink. Batman arrives at the dock after being "invited" by Joker, and is attacked by a now armed Wayne/Lex T-7. Part III Out at sea, Superman repairs the damage to the cruise ship and prevents it sinking. At the same time, Batman flees the Wayne/Lex T-7 using his new Jet-wing until the machine damages it. In desperation, Batman heads for the Daily Planet building to find Superman, but he is not there, and Lois happens to be doing a late night. ' most recent rescuer.]] With her in danger of being caught in the crossfire, Batman snatches her up and together they try to run. The pair are cornered by the robot in the printer room. As it tries to push him into the press, his cape and cowl are caught and pulled off, revealing his identity to Lois. Lois manages to distract the robot from killing Bruce, long enough for Superman to arrive and destroy it. prepares to destroy everything Luthor built.]] Luthor is informed of the Wayne/Lex T-7's failure and realizes that he'll be connected to the crime. He decides to cut his losses and orders one more meeting with Joker. Back at her apartment, Lois treats a wound on Bruce's shoulder. She is fuming because Bruce deceived her about his secret identity, and also because she honestly cares for him enough that she can't release the story of Batman's true identity. Superman arrives and asks Bruce for a partnership so that they can take in both their enemies. Batman agrees and the duo leaves. Meanwhile, Joker and Luthor meet at a LexCorp aeronautics factory, where Luthor informs Joker and Harley that he intends to kill them and frame them for all the mayhem that's been going on. Joker turns the tables and takes both Luthor and Mercy prisoner. Since he can no longer collect his billion dollars, Joker decides on a "consolation prize": Luthor's gigantic and heavily armed Lexwing airship (having Harley paint it so that it resembles a grinning mouth, as it is built in the shape of a crescent moon). Luthor offers to pay for his release, but Joker says he isn't interested in money anymore. Instead, he wants to destroy everything Luthor built, just as Batman destroyed everything that he, Joker, built. carries a "gift".]] Batman and Superman arrive but are attacked by giant versions of the Wayne/Lex T-7's before they can stop Joker from taking off. Working together, they destroy most of the robots, but then are faced with one that has Mercy strapped to its side as a shield, preventing them from hitting it. (Harley duct taped Mercy to one of the T-7's earlier) Batman manages to get the robot off the ground and Superman deactivates it without hurting Mercy. Mercy tells the heroes of Joker's plans, which Superman realizes means destroying half of Metropolis. The group is confronted by an even larger, more advanced robot. Superman tells Batman to go after Joker while he takes care of the robot. Unfortunately, this one is equipped with the other half of the Laughing Dragon, rendering Superman unable to fight back. Joker goes on a destructive spree over Metropolis. Batman pursues in the Batwing. Joker damages the plane with missiles, and Batman is forced to eject, but manages to board the plane. While Batman deals with the wing, Superman is pummeled by the robot until it tries to smash him with a heavy door. and Clark say their goodbyes.]] The door, which had been lined with lead to block Superman's x-ray vision, protects him from the Kryptonite and he destroys the robot, in the process shattering the last of the Kryptonite to pieces. Superman heads off to help stop the Joker. Batman confronts the Joker, leaving Harley to fly the wing, but she only succeeds in shutting off its engines. Fortunately, Superman arrives just in time to steer the wing away from a collision with a building. In the fight, Joker accidentally drops his entire bag of marble grenades while going for his gun. As the grenades start to explode, the heroes save Luthor and Harley but are unable to reach the Joker in time. As the Joker goes for a parachute, he is trapped by the grenades rolling towards him. In the face of death, the Joker starts laughing maniacally. In the ensuing explosion, the wing is destroyed, and it crashes into the ocean, where it disappears in a second, much larger explosion. With the troubles over, Angela Chen reports on the incident: Joker's body has not been found. Luthor is under investigation, but it is unlikely he will be charged with any crime. However, Bruce Wayne, discovering that Luthor has been developing military versions of their robots, terminates his deal with LexCorp. Harley is returned to Arkham Asylum, much to the amusement of Mercy Graves. Sadly for Bruce, Lois says she adores him, but can't get over his secret activities. He tells her goodbye, and he and Clark exchange a good natured farewell before Bruce leaves for Gotham, leaving Metropolis and Lois in Superman's care once again. Continuity * Wayne Enterprises' brief partnership with LexCorp is later found, in the episode "Knight Time", to have allowed Brainiac to infect Wayne's computers, after having done so to LexCorp's in "Stolen Memories" (see also "Ghost in the Machine"). * Joker's next appearance is in , "Joker's Millions". His survival of the Lexwing crash is left unexplained, but his money problems and encounter with Bruce Wayne in the restaurant are referenced in said episode. * The long term effects of Kryptonite radiation on humans is further explored in episode "Injustice For All", when Luthor is diagnosed with an incurable form of blood cancer as a result of carrying Kryptonite around with him for years. * Lois and Bruce have a brief reunion in "The Demon Reborn", where Lois reveals to Bruce she was having second thoughts about her relationship with him and there were several times that she had almost picked up the phone. Unfortunately, she was talking to herself, because, as usual, Batman had already disappeared. * Superman claims he heard Batman was "crazy". In "The Last Son of Krypton", Martha Kent previously referred to Batman as "that nut in Gotham City". Background information Home video releases * * Superman: The Complete Animated Series (DVD) * The Superman Batman Movie (DVD) * The Superman Batman Movie (VHS) Production notes * In the audio commentary, Bruce Timm says that it was Glen Murakami's suggestion not to put red lips on the Joker. Glen justifies it on grounds of "simplification", and Bruce admits it was a mistake. * The tune played by the Joker's balloon in Part II is first heard in the episode "Robin's Reckoning", during a fight on a carousel. It was also previously heard at the carnival in "Baby-Doll". * In part three, when the larger Wayne/Lex T-7 hits Superman with the Gatling gun, there's an explosion that is reused footage from a scene of "My Girl", in which Mr. Eelan blows a vat of hot lead off its support. * Because the Laughing Dragon was carved (approximately) thirty years before the events of this episode, it can be deduced that Superman/Clark Kent is at least 30 and possibly older. Production inconsistencies * This is the first time Batman's "Jet-wing" is seen and seems to be a new sight for the Joker. Its first chronological appearance, however, is in the flashbacks of the episode "Old Wounds" where Joker was the present villain. Trivia * The title is a reference to World's Finest Comics, an anthology comic which often featured the team of Superman and Batman after their first meeting in Superman #76. Prior to that, the comic had simply printed Batman and Superman in separate, unrelated stories. * The Joker offers Lois a scoop he calls "The Death Of Superman"; this was a major storyline in the comics about Superman's supposed death at the hands of Doomsday. * Batman and Joker's involvement in this episode bear strong similarities to "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm": Joker is supposed to be paid to stop the show's hero (though his position on the deal is reversed), Bruce's love interest (both played by Dana Delany) is used to get to the show's hero and discovers he is Batman, and Joker is nearly killed in a giant explosion caused by what he was using to fight the hero(es) at the end. * On the Batman: The Brave And The Bold episode "The Super-Batman of Planet X!" Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, and Clancy Brown all voice Zur-En-Arrh counterparts of their characters here; The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, Vilsi Valar (a reporter), and Rohtul (Luthor spelled backwards), respectively. * Tim Daly narrowly beat Kevin Conroy for the role of Joe Hackett on the TV series Wings, before Conroy was cast in . This is the first time Daly and Conroy have worked together since then. * Daly and Conroy later reprised their roles together in the later episodes, "Knight Time" and "The Demon Reborn", and the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (with Clancy Brown and CCH Pounder), Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (with Susan Eisenberg and Ed Asner), and Justice League: Doom (with many other DCAU reprisals). * Batman taking out the second round of Joker's goons in the Lexcorp warehouse strongly resembles the intro in that Batman dodges the bullets the same way and disarms both goons with a single batarang. * Batman's confrontation with Lex Luthor in Batman #573 strongly resembles their first face to mask meeting in Part II in that Lex wakes up frightened by the "fright mask" in front of him and realizes that Batman will have to be dealt with and tells Mercy to contact Bane, who was working for them at the time. In the comic, however, Batman renders Mercy unconscious before waking Lex and tells Luthor that she shouldn't bother attacking him from behind. * The Joker's line about Superman being "more powerful than a locomotive" is taken from to the Fleischer cartoons of the 1940's. * Joker's comments Lex's limo has "rich Corinthian leather"; a reference to Ricardo Montalban's 1975 commercial for the Chrysler Cordoba. * Harley Quinn's disguise as Mercy Graves is similar to her chauffeur disguise in episode "Joker's Favor". * Harley Quinn calls Lex "Mr. L", which is an alias Luthor often used in Superman's early Post-Crisis comics, the first time in [[w:c:dcdatabase:Man of Steel Vol 1 2|The Man of Steel #2]]. Cast Quotes Part I Part II Part III Category:A to Z Category:Crossover episodes Category:Superman: The Animated Series episodes